Georgia Southern a kingpin in the Southern Conference

Georgia Southern’s Jerick McKinnon (1) looks for some running room against Chattanooga during last year’s Southern Conference game at Paulson Stadium. McKinnon and the Eagles face an improved SoCon this season.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Chattanooga quarterback Terrell Robinson dives for the end zone as he is tackled by Georgia Southern's Michael Butler last season. Robinson is back for the Mocs this year.

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Chattanooga quarterback Terrell Robinson is surrounded by the Georgia Southern defense as he is taken down while attempting a 2-point conversion during last year's game. Robinson returns to lead the Mocs in a competitive Southern Conference this year.

About a dozen years ago, the big three of the Southern Conference — Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Furman — might have been the most feared threesome in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Some of the subdivision’s experts called the Southern Conference the SEC of the FCS.

GSU won national titles in 1999 and 2000 and probably could have claimed one in 1998 when Massachusetts knocked off the turnover-prone undefeated Eagles.

In 2001, Furman lost to Southern in the regular season but beat GSU in the playoff semifinals to advance to the title game.

Appalachian stayed close to the leaders until breaking out and winning three straight FCS championships from 2005 to 2007 behind quarterback Armanti Edwards.

The Mountaineers also had that small upset in Ann Arbor, Mich., to boast about.

But other leagues have made claim being to the subdivison’s best conference in recent years.

Georgia Southern was the only Southern Conference team to win a playoff game in 2011. Appalachian State and Wofford lost their first playoff games.

“We want to be the best football team we can be and we know that means playing the best football we can every week,” Eagles coach Jeff Monken said.

Could this be the year the SoCon returns to the top of the subdivision nationally?

GSU was the preseason favorite to win the league, but Appalachian State and Wofford may not be far behind. ASU’s offense should be explosive with sophomore QB Jamal Jackson gaining a year of experience last season.

Wofford returns the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, running back Eric Breitenstein.

Chattanooga isn’t too far away from the league’s elite. The Mocs, who also have a sophomore quarterback in Terrell Robinson, lost five league games last season by a total of 12 points. UTC also had the conference’s toughest defense, allowing just 19.7 points a game.

Furman’s late-season run in 2011 showed it has potential to be a contender. The Paladins defeated Wofford, Chattanooga and Appalachian State in consecutive weeks and trailed Florida, 37-32, in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale.